Telkom to offer 100Mbps DSL

Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko has revealed that they plan to deploy 100Mbps DSL services in South Africa using G.fast technology.

Maseko made the announcement during Telkom’s annual results presentation for the year ended March 2017.

G.fast – the ITU-T’s G.9701 specification – was approved in December 2014 and is designed to provide gigabit broadband connection speeds over a single twisted pair cable in existing copper infrastructure.

Currently, the maximum speed Telkom offers over its DSL service is 40Mbps.

Like all broadband speeds over copper, the distance between the user’s location and where the copper line joins a distribution cabinet, for example, affects the quality and speed of the connection.

Where G.fast technology can prove valuable, however, is when a copper line is connected from a home to a fibre-backhauled cabinet, allowing higher speeds over the last mile.

“In areas where Openserve has an access fibre footprint, it is now possible for residents in townhouse complexes, smaller gated communities, multi-dwelling units, and office parks, who already have existing copper access lines, to experience high-speed broadband of up to 100Mbps,” said Alphonzo Samuels, Openserve CEO.

“G.fast helps us overcome the hesitation that many home owners associations and body corporates of multiple-dwelling complexes have with granting permissions to upgrade infrastructure on their properties.”

“We’ve now found a way to better make use of infrastructure that is already in place, thus reducing any disruption or possible harm to the aesthetics of the estate or the associated expense.”

“We’ve completed testing G.fast technology in our labs with results indicating amazing suitability to our broadband network, especially in scenarios where the length of the copper tail/drop wire is 150m or less,” he said.

“We are excited to share this with our ISP and broadband resell partners, who will now be able to reach an even broader customer base to grow their businesses and get these higher-speed broadband services to more of their customers.”

Samuels said Openserve will install G.fast nodes, which will have access to fibre lines, where copper access distribution points are situated.

Openserve’s clients will be notified of availability as and when services become available via G.fast technology.